Why in the News?

• In the Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2025 rankings (under the National Clean Air Programme, NCAP), Guwahati has improved its air quality ranking by 17 places compared to last year.

• The city now stands at 21st position nationally with a score of 169.9 out of 200.

Key Points

• Guwahati’s improvement reflects better performance in parameters like pollution control measures, air monitoring, and reduced emissions.

• The survey covers 130 NCAP cities across India, evaluated annually on:

  • Pollution levels

  • Policy implementation

  • Public awareness

  • Monitoring systems

• The city’s jump indicates visible impact of local governance and civic measures in line with NCAP’s clean air goals.

Reasons Behind Guwahati’s Improvement

• Strengthened air quality monitoring and stricter enforcement of anti-pollution norms.

• Efforts to control road dust, vehicle emissions, and waste burning.

• Increased public awareness campaigns to curb pollution sources.

Challenges That Remain

• Persistent issues with traffic congestion, construction dust, and open waste burning.

• Need for better last-mile monitoring and real-time public data transparency.

• Sustaining the momentum to climb higher in rankings.

Way Forward

• Expand continuous air quality monitoring stations across the city.

• Promote public transport and EV adoption to reduce vehicle emissions.

• Enforce construction and waste management rules more strictly.

• Run community awareness campaigns to change behaviour around waste burning and fuel use.

• Ensure policy continuity and accountability for long-term improvement.

Practice Question (MCQ)

Q. Consider the following statements about Guwahati’s performance in Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2025:

1. Guwahati has risen 17 places compared to its 2024 ranking.

2. Its current position is 21st nationwide among NCAP cities.

3. The score obtained by Guwahati in 2025 is 169.9 out of 200.

4. Over 200 cities are evaluated under the Swachh Vayu survey.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 3 and 4 only
d) All four statements are correct

Answer: a) 1, 2 and 3 only